Skip to main content

Tsumugi Ori

Tsumugi kimono

     Tsumigi, one of the twelve types of Nishijin Ori, is a relatively simple fabric. The thread for Tsumugi is spun not from individual spun fibers of un-reeled silkworm cocoons, but the stretched-out cocoon itself. This results in a thread that is not as fine as that which could be created using the individual threads of a cocoon but is warmer and can be made from silk that would not otherwise be useable.

     From what I understand, the threads for Tsumugi were traditionally handspun. Without even a spindle, the spinner would simple draft silk out from a mawata and twist it between their fingers to create the finished thread. This process is still carried out by craftsmen in Yuki.

     Tsumugi does not appear to be associated with one specific dye method, although, as a Nishijin textile, whatever method is used is used before weaving. The signature aspect of Tsumugi as a Nishijin textile comes from the way the threads are spun and the weaving method. Tsumugi is woven simply and has historically been made on backstrap looms


“Nishijin Industry.” Nishijin Textile Industry Association, Nishijin Textile Center, http://nishijin.or.jp/eng/whats-nishijin/industry.

 “手技TEWAZA「結城紬」Yuki Tsumugi Textile.” YouTube, 伝統工芸青山スクエア, 0 May 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXR6hCTIOh0.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jacquard Loom

Jacquard loom      The loom used in the modern production of Nishijin textiles is the Jacquard loom that was invented in 1801 in France and brought to Japan in 1872 when three students were sent to Europe by the Kyoto Prefectural Government to learn their techniques. This allowed Japan to mass produce Nishijin Ori and it has become the loom that is associated with Nishijin.      The Jacquard loom is designed specifically for brocades. To use the loom patterns are plotted out and then transferred onto cards in the form of a system of holes that determine which warp threads are to be pulled through and thus the pattern is decided with less work for the weaver.   This loom allows for complicated designs to be input into the looms to mass produce textiles without losing quality in the end product. The loom is massive, but not far in size from standard European looms and, though the mechanism itself is complicated in comparison to previous looms, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Himeji Castle

      I visited Himeji Castle during Golden week. The castle was built in 1346 by Akamatu Sadanori and is designed to have the appearance of a white heron in flight. The Castle is built primarily of wood and the exterior has been plastered using a mixture of slaked lime, shell ash, hemp fiber and seaweed leaving the entire structure white except for the roofs. The roofs themselves are made of black convex and concave tiles set in place using more white plaster resulting in a white and black latticed look across all the roofs of the castle.       Himeji Castle has survived centuries of changes of occupants and wars. It miraculously survived the bombing of Himeji city twice and became something of a symbol of hope and strength. The west Baily that surrounds the perimeter of the castle famously housed Princess Sen who is known for having one of the few marriages at that time that is believed to have been for love. The castle is scheduled for thoro...
Post a Comment
Read more
Cotton (7)      Cotton refers to plants in the genus Gossypium. (5) Cotton is a shrubby perennial usually ranging from 1-2 meters that grows best in a warm humid climate. The plants develop bolls which mature 55 to 80 days after the flower first blooms. These bolls burst open when fully mature to reveal clumps of cotton up to 2.5” long attached to 7-10 seeds. These bolls are then ideally harvested by hand, or harvested by machine which results in dirtied cotton and therefore more cleaning and more waste (5). Warmer temperatures are ideal for growing cotton, so after spreading to Japan it was first grown significantly in Ryukyu and other southern regions (6). (4) (2)      After harvest, cotton must be detangled and cleaned before spinning. In Japan this was done with a bow, called wata-uchi-yumi. The string was plucked to vibrate the cotton, fluff it, and shake dust and dirt out. I am including an image of an equivalent process done in Indi...
Post a Comment
Read more